The Roman God of Beginnings

Coincidentally (or not as is my usual finding), as I was preparing myself to attend tomorrows end of year Beyond Success seminar I came across a piece of information about a mythological Roman God called Janus that is quite relevant and worthy of sharing.

Janus was known as the God of Gates and Doors and is most commonly depicted with two faces; One looking at what is behind (the past) and the other looking toward what lies ahead (the future). So it appears that Janus is quite appropriately representative of our contemplation on the happenings of an old year while looking forward to the new.

In his role as the Guardian of Exits and Entrances, Janus was also believed to represent beginnings which is why the month of January was derived from his name. The explanation for this belief being that one must emerge through a door or gate in order to enter into a new place much like the important process of reviewing the year passed and planning for the year ahead to the level of detail that I spoke about in my last post.

The other interpretation of what Janus represents is the two sides to each of us, ‘a good side’ and ‘a bad side’ and the importance of embracing both of these aspects in ourselves and in those we love.

So as we bring this year to a close I encourage you to use both of these aspects that you have within you, firstly to look backward so that you can exit the year embracing what you have learned, what you have achieved and what you are grateful for. Then enter 2012 having released your 2011 experiences and using your findings to create the year that will be your best yet!